Autumn 2016

by Dr. Lenore Tedesco

As another summer comes to a close, it’s a great time to think about all the remarkable work our staff, volunteers, and interns have done and the impact it has had. As the summer season starts, our staffing ramps up with the addition of seasonal employees, more volunteers, and the arrival of our undergraduate interns. Front-desk staff and volunteers are here to greet visitors, get them booked in programs and excursions, and are ready to answer questions about programs, wildlife rescue, and our mission. The education teams are delivering summer nature programs, outreach events, and traveling education programs. The education interns are busy running visitor programs, coordinating Crabulous Crab Day and working hard on their independent projects that help enhance programming while giving them great experience. Our research and conservation department is stretched thin managing the various research, monitoring and conservation projects that are all in full swing. Staff are out monitoring bird usage at Stone Harbor Point and Ring Island and stewarding the beaches so beach nesting birds can raise their young. They are documenting box turtle usage of the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, and managing the intense pressure of Diamond-back Terrapin nesting season. From conducting road patrols, to protecting nests from predators, to retrieving eggs from mothers killed on roadways, working to rehabilitate injured terrapins, and working with all of you that bring injured terrapins to the Institute, it’s a whirl wind of activity. The research interns are also working on their individual research projects in the midst of all that is happening here as well.

It’s a pretty remarkable time of year. It’s also a great time to take stock. The reTURN the Favor Horseshoe Crab Rescue program tallied more than 500 volunteer walks that rescued more than 77,000 horseshoe crabs. The Terrapin Conservation Program saved more than 360 terrapins and helped 107 more that were injured. They handled more than 490 road killed females to harvest 776 eggs. The eggs have been hatching from our incubators since the end of July. They will be cared for until they can be released back into the marsh next summer.

People often ask me if our area is better off because the Institute is here. The answer is a resounding yes! Whether it’s because we were able to provide a special connection to the marsh for our visitors, or because of the wildlife that got a second chance at life – the answer is YES. It takes a village to make a difference. All of you – our supporters – are part of that village. We can’t do it without you!